UPDATED: Look Ahead — Week of June 23-27

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced the following upcoming Committee events:

Tuesday, June 24

Subcommittee Hearing: Thailand: A Democracy in Peril

2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific

Steve Chabot (R-OH), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

The Honorable Scot Marciel
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Chairman Chabot on the hearing: “Thailand has long been considered an outpost of democracy and liberal ideals in Southeast Asia; however, this reputation is all being called into question after the Royal Thai Army seized control of power and suspended Thailand’s constitution on May 22. The military’s actions since that time—imposing curfews, blocking international media, banning public gatherings, detaining journalists, and arresting political leaders—is undemocratic and unjustified. While Thailand has been a significant security partner and ally of the U.S. for decades, this coup d’état is already having a negative impact on the bilateral relationship. This hearing is being called at a critical time in order to examine the short and long-term implications of this coup on the U.S.-Thailand alliance, and to assess whether the Administration is doing enough to encourage the restoration of a civilian government and Thailand’s respect for the fundamental freedoms that true democracies represent.”

Wednesday, June 25

Hearing: Afghanistan’s Transition

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman

Wednesday, June 25

Subcommittee Hearing: Reviewing the Administration’s FY 2015 Budget Request for Europe and Eurasia

2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25 in 2200 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats

Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

Mr. Daniel Rosenblum
Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Mr. Jonathan Katz
Deputy Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Europe and Eurasia
U.S. Agency for International Development

Ms. Denise Rollins
Acting Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Asia
U.S. Agency for International Development

Chairman Rohrabacher on the hearing: “The rise of Communist China and its expanding economic power, relations with Russia, and the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan are major issues that confront the countries of Europe and Eurasia. This hearing will address how the Obama Administration’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget request will promote US policy and help our friends and strategic allies address these challenges. Is our aid being used in a fiscally responsible manner that helps to put nations on a path to where that aid is no longer needed? Or is the State Department using assistance to fund large projects that look good from Washington, but don’t help the local people? This hearing will provide the chance to put the Administration on the record and continue the Committee’s oversight efforts.”

Wednesday, June 25

Subcommittee Hearing: Libya at a Crossroads: A Faltering Transition

2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

The Honorable Anne W. Patterson
Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Derek Chollet
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
U.S. Department of Defense

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “Tensions between non-Islamist and Islamist forces have brought Libya to the brink of an all out civil war. Since the fall of Qaddafi, Libya has been plagued by disunity, political instability and a rapidly deteriorating economy. It has been more than three years since the uprisings that removed Qaddafi from power, yet Libya’s transition seems less likely now than ever before. Libya has become a terrorist safe haven as extremist groups roam freely within the country and flock to neighboring countries where they continue to destabilize the region. The United States has faced significant challenges as the Administration struggles to develop a strategy that can address Libya’s security concerns as well as our own national security interests. This hearing will afford us the opportunity to hear from the Administration on how it is addressing these major obstacles in the post-Qaddafi transition.”

Wednesday, June 25

Subcommittee Hearing: Children Migrating from Central America: Solving a Humanitarian Crisis

2:00pm on Wednesday, June 25 in 2255 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

Mr. Mark Lopes
Deputy Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean
U.S. Agency for International Development

Chairman Salmon on the hearing: “The truly deplorable conditions these child migrants face en route to the United States, coupled with their separation from their parents, makes clear that Congress has a moral imperative to act.  We must determine how we can enforce our existing laws, bolster our relationships with Central American nations, and ultimately stem the flow of unaccompanied minors to our border.”

Thursday, June 26

9:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 26 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman

***See foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates.

***Coverage note: All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-video-feed.

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